


So This is How it Ends

by SteelLily



Series: Project Crisalide [3]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-04-15 14:24:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4610055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteelLily/pseuds/SteelLily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the conclusion to this series.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marvel characters mentioned in this piece, nor do I claim to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Truths Revealed

“Papa?” Angie whispered.

She did not feel the coffee pot slip through her fingers; she did not feel at first, the searing pain of hot liquid through her nylons. All she felt was tightness in her chest and the pressure of tears behind her eyes begging to be set loose. She certainly did not hear Peggy and Dottie calling her name. Peggy’s hand on Angie’s shoulder brought her back down to earth.

“Papa, was she floating?” Angelo leaned forward, mouth agape, staring at Angie.

“Si,” he replied, eyes still on Angie.

Angie blinked rapidly, trying to clear her head of the flashbacks to that last night with her family. She looked away from her grandfather’s face and down at the coffee pooling around her feet. She lifted her foot and stepped out of the liquid. Something she prayed was akin to an apology fell out of her mouth and she walked back to the kitchen to retrieve a towel and compose herself. Dottie shook her head in disappointment. Peggy had seemed, yet again, oblivious to what occurred. While Dottie debated what to do with her newfound information, Angie returned from the back and began mopping up the mess.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion to Angie. She felt coolness seeping through her skirt where she knelt in the coffee. The shards of glass she plucked from the ground, felt heavy and foreign in her hands. She picked up the dripping towel in one hand and gripped large fragments of the shattered pot in the other hand. Blood trickled down her palm which she barely registered. A busboy made his way out to the dining area and began mopping up the rest of the mess. Vaguely Angie heard the cook shouting at her. She ran water over her bleeding hand. It all felt like a dream. A very distant nightmare from which she would soon wake, but then there was her grandfather standing across from her at the counter saying her name. She felt herself smile.

Outside Angie’s narrowed frame of vision, Peggy pushed herself away from the table. Dottie put her hand on Peggy’s and shook her head. With a sigh, Peggy sat back down and watched quietly. Angie walked around the counter toward the older gentleman. The young boy at the table just sat watching. Remotely, Angie felt wet streaming down her cheeks. Her hand went to cover her mouth to muffle the sob that kept trying to claw free from her throat. “Papa?” she whispered again.

“Mia bella nipote,” Marco responded, wiping a tear from his own cheek.

Angie sniffled and threw herself into his arms. “I never thought I’d see you again,” she cried into his shoulder.

Marco chuckled and pulled away from the hug, “Heaven and hell can’t separate Martinellis forever,” his big thumb wiped a tear from Angie’s cheek.

The way Angie smiled, Peggy felt her heart might burst and she would start crying herself. Dottie crossed her arms over her chest impassively, waiting and wondering how to turn this information to something beneficial. The cook was still yelling after Angie who completely had him tuned out. He started shouting about “worthless Italians” and Peggy shot him a withering stare that shut him up immediately. He put his head down and disappeared out of the window. “Bella, there’s someone I want you to meet, eh? He couldn’t wait to meet his sorella maggiore.”

Angie’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline, “Il mio fratellino? This one?” she thumbed at the boy sitting at the table near the door.

Marco smiled and walked with Angie to the table. “Angelo, say hello to your namesake, Angela.”

He chewed the inside of his cheek, “Hello,” he replied shyly.

“Nice to meet ya, kid,” Angie laughed, “What about Ma and Pa?” she turned back to her grandfather.

“Si, bella,” he nodded, “They are fine. They were too worried about the reprocussions to come see you themselves but damn the bastards that try to keep Martinellis apart, eh?” his face steeled and Angie just smiled wider.

“Oh Papa,” she replied, “It isn’t safe though. You shouldn’t have come.”

“Che cosa è questa assurdità? You speak nonsense, child. As if I could stay away,” he waved her concerns away.

Angie looked up away from them toward the window. Bolide stood glaring. “Merde,” Angie cursed, “Papa, Angel, I need you to slowly get up and move behind me away from the window, si?”

Marco’s brow wrinkled but he took Angelo’s hand and carefully moved behind Angie. Looking up toward the window, he saw a woman staring in with fire in her hands. “Bella, that woman is on fire.”

“Yep,” Angie replied, “Get down.”

No sooner did Angie manage the warning, did Bolide throw a fireball through the window. Glass shattered around Angie. She raised her hand and sucked the oxygen away from the flame and it died. Angie’s eyes narrowed. The glass lifted from the ground, she whipped it into a tornado as a barrier between Bolide and her family. She turned her head quickly, instructing Marco and Angelo back toward the employee door. Peggy and Dottie were already on their feet. Peggy put her hands on Marco’s shoulder to lead them out to safety. “English?” Angie shouted over the tornado’s roaring and splash of fire against it.

“Yes, Angie,” she replied as calmly as she could manage.

“You protect them, will ya?” Angie pleaded, risking a glance back.

“With my life,” Peggy replied.

Angie nodded. Dottie shielded her eyes and made her way up behind Angie. Angie felt the movement. “How long have you known?” she asked.

Angie shoved the tornado at Bolide. She rolled away, her arms took the brunt of the force of the wind and shards of glass embedded in her arms. It gave them a moment to plan. “Long enough,” Dottie replied.

“If we get out of this, I plan on killing you,” Angie deadpanned.

Dottie grinned sadistically, “If we get out of this, I’d like to see you try,” she leapt over the counter and swung out into the street.

Dottie kicked Bolide’s arms, still held up around her face. She screamed in pain as the glass sank deeper into her skin. She staggered backward and sent a wild spray of fire in Dottie’s direction. Dottie dodged and silently wished for water. Angie ran up behind them and pulled the oxygen from around Bolide. The red head glared at Angie through bulging eyes. She gasped, the world narrowed and Angie stepped closer to Bolide. She fell to her knees, grasping vainly at her throat. “You hurt my family,” Angie growled.

Bolide fell back onto the concrete. Her eyes glazed over. Angie stood slowly and turned back toward Dottie who had a slight look of admiration on her face. “Didn’t know you had it in you,” she smirked.

Angie stalked toward Dottie, slowly thinning the air around her. “You have no idea what I’m capable of,” she grit her teeth.

“Angie!” Peggy shouted.

Angie turned her head slowly away from Dottie whose breathing had become labored. Peggy leveled her gun at Angie. “Please don’t make me, Angie,” Peggy pleaded.

Angie looked behind Peggy at Marco and Angelo. Open terror on their faces, they were looking at her like she was a monster. Tears flooded her eyes, unbidden. Angie swiped at them and burst into the air. Dottie fell to her knees and took deep rasping breaths. Peggy rushed to her side. “That was personal,” she flatly accused, “You will explain. Are you all right?”

“Of course, director. We should get the civilians to safety and deal with this body,” Dottie replied coldly.


	2. Aftermath

Angie skidded across the roof of a building four blocks away. Her chest heaved rapid and shallow. Her hands fisted in her hair, pulling it free from the pinned bun. “Oh God,” she whispered to herself, curled into a ball and rocked.

Her eyes darted all around, unable to settle and focus. She clenched them closed and took a deep breath and screamed. The sound bounced off the buildings and echoed. Her heart thundered against her ribcage so fast and hard, Angie felt like she was going to die on the spot. She wished she could rip the infernal thing out of her chest. She clenched her eyes closed tightly. Bursts of colour raced across her vision briefly before it was replaced with the twin looks of terror on her brother and grandfather’s faces.

Marco and Angelo were shuffled into a van that resembled a milk truck. Peggy assured them they were safe all the while silently kicking herself for missing what had been staring her in the face for weeks, months. The van lurched forward. Peggy steadied herself, keeping her gun out and pointed at the ground. The young boy’s eyes were the size of saucers. Peggy knelt in front of him and smiled, “What’s your name?”

He turned those wide blue eyes that mimicked Angie’s toward Peggy. “Angelo,” he squeaked before turning to his grandfather, “Papa, what’s happening? Where are they taking us? Where did Angie go? Is she okay? Did she kill that girl?”

Peggy recognized the signs of shock in the small boy. She holstered her gun while his grandfather attempted to calm him. His grandfather picked Angelo up. That quickly resulted in an evening in the boy’s breath and the slight shaking of his limbs ceased. Peggy exhaled gratefully. The van came to a stop and the engine clicked off. There was a knock at the doors. Dottie spoke loudly through the metal, “We’re here.”

Peggy moved to the doors and spoke to Marco, “Mr. Martinelli?”

He nodded, “Marco.”

Peggy smiled, “Marco, we’re going to need to ask you some questions and bring in the rest of your family okay?”

Marco’s eyes narrowed. He stood and hefted the boy to his hip. “I need assurances before I tell you anything.”

Peggy rolled her neck but nodded and opened the doors. They were met by Gabe and Jim. Marco’s eyebrows pinched together in surprise then his shoulders lowered and his posture relaxed as he climbed out of the van. He stood Angelo on the ground next to him. “This ain’t a camp then?” he leaned in toward Jim to whisper.

Jim, wearing a suit and tie, placed a hand on Marco’s shoulder and smiled kindly, “This isn’t a camp, sir.”

Marco nodded slowly and shook Jim’s hand then moved to shake Gabe’s hand. Finally, he turned toward Peggy and Dottie. He eyed Dottie doubtfully but took each of their hands in turn. “Tell me what you know about mia nipote. Then I’ll decide if I trust you with the rest of my family.” 

“This way, please, Mr. Martinelli,” Peggy motioned toward the stairs.

“Director?” Gabe interrupted.

Peggy turned toward the man amidst Marco’s raised eyebrows. “You might want to take a look at our report,” he continued.

Peggy nodded, “Thank you, Gabe.”

Peggy turned her attention back to Marco and Angelo. Marco shook his head and chuckled, “This is one interesting organization ya got here, ma’am.”

“I’m afraid, you have no idea, Mr. Martinelli. Now, if you’ll follow me, please,” she started up the stairs.

Dottie hung back around the truck. Gabe and Jim approached her and nodded. “Who’re those two?” Gabe asked.

Dottie wrapped her arms over her chest and leaned against the truck, “The grandfather and brother of one of the 084s,” she frowned at the pair, “You’re back awfully quickly.”

Jim huffed and rubbed the back of his neck, “There’s a lot of unrest. It was a little too easy to get the info.”

Dottie raised an eyebrow in invitation to continue. Gabe stuffed his hands in his pockets, “We got there right as HYDRA was attempting to ‘liberate’ a group of powered kids. It was a mess. Most of the kids wound up dead, killed by the Italians so HYDRA couldn’t get their hands on ‘em. The few that survived scattered. Needless to say, it was easy to sneak in, grab their files and get out.”

“Wow,” Dottie mouthed and pushed forward off the side of the van.

“It’s not something I’m gonna forget anytime soon. Piles of dead kids everywhere…” Jim shuddered.

Dottie rolled her shoulder and fought to maintain a calm exterior. “See you two later,” she smiled and walked away.

“See ya, Dot,” Jim waved.

Dottie spared a glance at Grandinare. She inhaled slowly as the image of a young girl around Angelo’s age drowned out the room around her. Dottie’s heart pounded as, in the vision, the girl’s bright eyes went cold with a snap of her neck and crumpled to the ground. Dottie balled her hands into fists and inhaled deeply. Her eyes popped open to see Grandinare staring at her. Dottie walked toward him slowly. As she approached, he nodded up toward the stairs and asked, “Who’re they?”

“Angela Martinelli’s family.”

Grandinare’s eyes flashed briefly before he schooled his expression, “Who?” he tried ignorance.

Dottie rolled her eyes at him, “We aren’t going to hurt them. We’re trying to protect them. It seems your organization has or is in the process of falling. I’d reconsider your allegiances if I were you,” Dottie turned and walked away.

“You’re lucky you’re still alive,” he shouted at her.

Dottie sighed and continued walking up the stairs, “Am I?” she mumbled to herself.

Angie stepped softly on the roof of her parents’ house. The sun was at its apex and Angie had to squint to check down the street to make sure no one had seen her. She carefully lowered herself down to the window of her old room which she, rightfully, assumed belonged to her little brother now. _Locked, damn_ , she focused on the latch and squeezed a gust of air around it. It clicked open and Angie quietly lifted the window. She stepped gingerly inside.

The house was quiet, save humming coming from the kitchen. _Ma_ , Angie clasped her hand over her mouth. She crept stealthily to the staircase. The doorbell rang and Angie froze in place, crouched behind the bathroom wall. “Coming!” Angie’s mother shouted.

She appeared in the foyer, wiping her hands on her apron. She opened the door and looked out at the raven haired young woman in the doorway. “Can I help you?”

“Hello, Mrs. Martinelli,” Sussurro purred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For whatever reason, I've been completely stuck on this story. For those of you still hanging around for it, thank you. It means the world to me. I **WILL** finish it. It's just being stubborn on how that's going to happen. We're almost to the end. It's in sight. I'll get there one of these days.


	3. Extermination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This series is now complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was not beta'd. Any mistakes are all mine. Please, if you see something, let me know. I tried to catch them all but I know I missed some.

_East Harlem, New York April 1949_

“Hello,” Mrs. Martinelli replied.

She looked around behind the young girl for a chaperone. At the top of the stairs, Angie struggled with the urge to scream for her mother to run. As it stood, she tried to vanish into the wall. She needed to know how much they all knew about what she had done to Bolide. 

“May I come in, Mrs. Martinelli?” Sussurro smiled sweetly.

Angie’s whole body thrummed with the urge to scream. She wished she had Antonia’s power. She prayed her mother would say no and close the door. She knew better though and it did not shock her when her mother stepped aside to let the girl in.  
___________________

 

Dottie lifted the page in the file Peggy handed her and leaned against the wall. Marco Martinelli listened to Peggy sharing what little information she was able. Dottie sighed and stopped pretending to read, “I don’t understand why we aren’t just using my contacts to find his family and bring them in. This is wasting pointless time.”

Peggy shot Dottie a warning glare. Dottie rolled her eyes and returned to Gabe and Jim’s report. While Peggy resumed attempting to assure Marco that his family would be safe in their care, Dottie focused in on the contents of the document. There was a lot of information she did not care at all about like how Italy was attempting to frame Russia as a major communist threat against the US in order to slip operatives into places of power or how experimentation on Italian citizens was not resulting in an increase in powered people. Her eyes started to glaze over once again until she caught sight of something that might actually be helpful. She cleared her throat, “Director.”

Peggy turned around in her chair again and glared, “What?” she hissed.

“You should come look at this. I think it will help our situation,” Dottie nodded toward the old man and the young boy across from Peggy. “Fine,” Peggy sighed and moved to stand next to Dottie.

Dottie handed her the folder and pointed at the second to last paragraph. Peggy paled. “Go talk to Grandinare, see if that information gets him to tell us where they are.”

Dottie nodded and offered Marco an apologetic smile. Peggy turned her attention back to Marco. His eyebrows knitted together, “Angel, why don’t you see if you can find me a cup of water, eh?” Marco patted the boy’s shoulder.

Peggy nodded and smiled at the boy. She waved out the window, catching Rose’s attention. The woman smiled and made her way toward the room, “Rose, would you mind helping Angelo get some water for his grandfather. Perhaps we’ve some sweets hidden around somewhere he might enjoy,” Peggy directed.

“Gotcha, Director,” Rose smiled, “Let’s see what we can find, kiddo. I’m sure we’ll scrounge up some chocolate around here. You like chocolate?”

The boy nodded and cast one last look back at his grandfather. Marco smiled and shooed him away with Rose. Marco turned back to Peggy, “So what did your report say that has you spooked?”

Peggy smiled sadly, “The Italians have sent out an order for all American born operatives to be terminated.” 

“Mia bella,” Marco sighed and ran his hand down his chin.

“What are your intentions with my granddaughter?” Marco asked.

Peggy flushed then clenched her jaw, “If she can be turned, we would recruit her, frankly, however at the moment the only thing I’m concerned with is the safety of your family. If this order has made it to the other operatives here, your family will be targeted. If they aren’t already,” Peggy apologized.

“How many of them are there?” Marco wondered aloud.

Peggy sighed, she was flirting the line with sharing too much classified information. She closed the folder and sat it on the desk. Marco held up his hand in understanding. “I was on the wrong end of government questioning during the war. I know that look. I’ll give you the address of my son and his wife. My granddaughter may not be normal but she’s a good girl.”

“I know she is, Mr. Martinelli. I’ll do my best to bring her back safe,” Peggy could not quite keep the longing from her voice.

Marco reached out and patted Peggy’s hand. His eyes narrowed. Peggy looked away and cleared her throat. “You’ve lost love and you don’t want to do it again. I know that look well too,” he squeezed her hand.

Peggy’s eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet. Marco shushed her, “She’s a good girl, Director. Keep her safe.”

Dottie descended the stairs back to Grandinare’s holding cell. The boy sat freezing the water in his cup into shapes. He rolled his eyes in Dottie’s direction. “What do you want now?” he grumbled.

“Do you know about the directive, ‘Sterminare’?” Dottie began without preamble.

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” Grandinare waved the question away.

Dottie pounded her fist against the glass, “Pay attention!”

Grandinare stood up and crossed his arms then raised his eyebrow. Dottie continued calmly, “Directive Sterminare orders Crisalide operatives to kill every operative not born in Italy.”

Grandinare swallowed thickly, “You’re just trying to scare me. There’s no such order.”

“Do you really trust that no such order exists? Enough that you’d risk your family? You know that if I was given that order, the very first thing I would do is look for your family and kill them off one by one until someone told me where you’ve been hiding,” Dottie stated coolly.

“But they don’t even know I’m here,” Grandinare’s chest rose and fall rapidly.

Dottie stared at him, waiting patiently. The boy’s fists stared to ice over. Dottie remained impassive. “You know they would do it. They don’t view you as people. You are weapons to be used and discarded as needed.”

“What do you need to know?” Grandinare turned steeled eyes in Dottie’s direction.

A small smile crept across her face, “For starters, how many of you are there? And where are they staying?”

Grandinare took a deep breath.  
___________________

Angie crept closer to the edge of the staircase after her mother and Sussurro disappeared behind the kitchen door. Their voices were soft murmurs. Angie tiptoed down the stairs, taking care to step over that one rickety old step. She inclined her head toward the barrier. Still barely whispers. Angie bit her lip and debated whether she could manipulate the air to carry their voices toward her. The smells of fresh baked bread wafted up to Angie. She closed her eyes and focused. The door was still too far away for her to hear clearly. Angie tiptoed across the front entryway. She leaned against the wall next to the hinge side of the door and held her breath.

“I’m terribly sorry to bother you, Mrs. Martinelli, but I need to know about your daughter,” Sussurro stated coolly in a fairly decent New York accent.

Angie did not need to see her face to know the coldness that would be radiating off her. Angie shifted quietly. “I don’t know what you mean. I’ve a son, not a daughter,” Mrs. Martinelli replied.

If Angie still knew her mother, she had moved to the sink to clean up dishes. It was her mother’s nervous tell. Seconds later, Angie heard the water running. She nearly hissed in frustration. The water drowned out their voices. There was no way to sneak out downstairs; the back door was through the kitchen so Angie quickly and quietly ascended the staircase and back out her old bedroom window. She lowered herself to the ground softly and snuck beneath the kitchen window. The water was off now but Angie could no longer hear Sussurro, only her mother’s robotic voice. Angie cursed under her breath, Sussurro was using her power. “My father-in-law went today with our son to the diner where she works. We haven’t heard from them yet…No I haven’t seen or heard from her. Not since she was taken. I will tell no one about this visit. If Angela comes here I will call this number…of course, you may have the whole loaf. Anything for a friend of Angela’s.”

Angie leaned out from the wall to sneak a peek into the window. Her mother must have moved to sit down at the table. She heard the front door open and close. “Dio mio,” came the reply from the kitchen.

Angie flew up to the roof and landed lightly. She had to come up with a plan. Had to figure a way to get her family to safety and take out Sussurro and probably Calcio and Pugno too. “Fuck,” she muttered, “I need help,” she looked down at her L&L uniform, “And to change clothes. Shit.” 

Angie bolted into the sky and made her way as quickly as she could, back to the Griffith Hotel. She altered the air around the window and lifted it then dove inside, blowing her things all around. She shucked off her heels and coffee stained dress. Under her bed, she kept a duffle with her gear in it. Angie had no idea how long she had before any number of law enforcement agencies showed up so she tossed a dress, stockings and heels in the bag to replace the sleek leather jumpsuit and calf high matching heelless boots. Angie shimmied into the leather outfit and pulled the zipper up her neck nearly to her chin. She grabbed the duffle and climbed out the window.

___________________

“Tommy, gave us the last known residences of the remaining 084s in the city. He said that he and Angie are the only two American born on this mission. The rest are native Italians and likely disinterested in betraying their country,” Dottie grinned to herself.

The visual of a genuinely smiling Dottie disconcerted Peggy but she shook it off. Peggy took the paper offered to her. “Only code names and aliases? He doesn’t know their real names?” Peggy puzzled.

Dottie shrugged, “He says he forgot. We’ve had him here a while and honestly, I think he’s worried more about the safety of his family than getting their names right. Jim and Gabe came away with a bunch of files right? Maybe the names are in those. They had to have kept records.”

Peggy nodded. “Rose,” Peggy looked around to find the woman.

Rose grabbed her notepad from her desk and pulled the pencil from behind her ear as she walked toward Peggy, “Yeah, director,” her pencil was already poised over the notebook.

“I need you to call in all available agents, let local law enforcement for these areas,” she extended the paper to Rose who took it and nodded, “know that they will need to keep bystanders away and get the president on the line.”

“Sure thing, director,” Rose smiled and returned to her desk.

Peggy turned back to Dottie who waited with her hands clasped behind her back. “Okay, you are staying away from the Martinellis. The last thing I need is for Angie to kill you. This mind control girl, what was her name?”

“Sussurro. It means whisper,” Dottie supplied.

“Yes,” Peggy acknowledged, “You have experience avoiding mind control yes? You defeated one of their other mind controllers, correct?”

Dottie bit the inside of her cheek, “Yes. I did but that was a long time ago. I was more disciplined. Working here has made me soft,” Dottie said the last with less venom than she intended.

Peggy’s eyes narrowed in consideration. “I don’t want any agent engaging the targets. I want them tranquilized and transported back here to be contained.”

Dottie shook her head, “Sussurro should be eliminated not contained.”

“I don’t disagree entirely,” Peggy admitted, biting the end of a pen, “But I’m not just going to issue a kill on sight order.”

Dottie squinted sideways at Peggy, “Does that mean that unofficially I have leave to take the shot if I have it?”

“I have no control how you interpret this conversation,” Peggy glanced up at Dottie with a barely perceptible nod as other agents started filing into the briefing room.

Dottie made her way to a seat at the long wood table in the center of the room. Peggy calmly watched the agents file in. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers and stuck her head out of the door. “Rose?”

Rose looked up from her desk and put a hand over the phone. Peggy continued, “Contact Agent Sousa and Colonel Phillips, please. Have them deal with the president.”

Rose waved the phone in Peggy’s direction and mouthed, “Got them now.”

Peggy smiled, “Have Jim or Gabe—whoever passes you first—brief them,” Peggy turned back.

“Thank God for small miracles,” Gabe sighed as he entered.

Peggy turned back. Rose was stifling a giggle behind her hand. Jim’s face was dark with embarrassment. If she listened closely, Peggy could nearly hear the gravelly bass of the Colonel’s voice. She did not envy the man. As a matter of fact, she did not envy a single one of these men and women staring at her, waiting for their orders. A twinge in Peggy’s side reminded her that it was possible some of them would lose their lives today. It was the part of the job she hated the most, asking good men and women to risk their lives. It is part of the reason she had refused to take a backseat. Whatever she asked them to do she wanted to make sure she was willing to do the same. Colonel Phillips, grudgingly, handled the politicking. Howard handled the science. Peggy. Peggy handled the troops. Dottie cleared her throat, effectively snapping Peggy back to the task at hand.

Peggy assigned tasks to three groups: one to subdue the brothers, Calcio and Pugno; one to locate and bring in Tommy’s—Grandinare’s—family and one to acquire the rest of the Martinellis. Peggy would be leading the team tasked with finding the brothers. Gabe would lead the group going after Tommy’s family while Jim brought in the Martinellis. Dottie would be on her own so that no one could question her unspoken directive of killing Sussurro. Besides, she felt that in all likelihood, Sussurro and the brothers would meet to coordinate a strike. With any luck they could get to them before they converged but luck was not something that Peggy often relied on. “Remain in constant radio contact,” Peggy instructed, “I don’t want any of us caught off guard, on the off chance that they are already executing their elimination orders.”

“Understood, director,” the entire room of 40 agents replied in near unison.

___________________

Angie landed on top of the building containing her grandfather’s restaurant. He lived on the floor directly above and above that were floors upon floors of apartments filled with hard working Italian families. She wondered to herself if any of the families were the same ones she grew up with. Marco’s entire restaurant staff lived in the building at one point. Angie slipped her finger into the high collar around her neck and tugged lightly. She hated wearing the outfit. She preferred a sweat suit. It was aerodynamic though. Angie prayed it would offer her enough of an advantage that she could keep her family safe. She thought of her grandfather and brother in SHIELD’s care. She prayed that she was right about Peggy and that the woman would keep her family safe. Her heart clenched at all the could have beens she knew she would miss with the Englishwoman.

Angie shook her head to clear it. She dropped the duffle bag on top of a vent and opened it. She pulled out two forearm length knives in leg holsters and one small knife in a wrist holster. She tightened the leather sheaths on her thighs and left wrist. Angie checked the snaps keeping each weapon in its place. She felt all around the bag until she found a small lighter. She flicked the top to check that it still worked then closed it and shoved it back in her pocket. Satisfied that she had everything, she zipped the bag and tucked it behind the large metal vent.

The midday sun beat down on her head causing sweat to bead on her forehead and the back of her neck beneath her ponytail. She levitated herself off the building to survey the surroundings on the off chance that Sussurro decided to wait for her at the restaurant. There seemed to be no sign of anything out of the ordinary so Angie took off in the direction of Sussurro’s cover. She kicked her speed as fast as she could go and still see. She knew people would see her streaking across the sky. There were no clouds to hide between. It was an idyllic spring New York afternoon. 

The wind whipping around Angie’s face served to focus her. She took deep breaths. She knew exactly what she needed to do. Take out Sussurro. Angie felt tears streaming down her cheeks. _I’m sorry, Antonia._ She could not allow herself to think of Antonia. Not when her own family’s lives were at risk. Her shoulders fell back away from her ears as she burst forward. 

She nosedived abruptly and landed in an alley a few blocks east of Central Park. Angie crept along the cold brick wall toward the front of the building. She looked up above her at the fire escape ladder. Angie jumped up, aided by a small whirlwind. She stepped lightly onto the metal zigzagging escape. Sussurro’s cover family lived on the top floor of the building. Angie quickly and quietly climbed the stairs up to the top level. She shifted the air with a focused twist of her fingers and opened the window over the fire escape.

Angie stepped lightly into the living room. She craned her neck, listening for any signs of movement. The home was quiet, eerily so. Angie tiptoed to the kitchen. She looked down the hallway to the bedrooms. She bit her lip, weighing her next course of action. Angie rolled her eyes and headed down the hallway. She cautiously opened a door on her left. An empty bathroom. She took a breath and glanced in the next door. A small bedroom. Also empty. Two doors remained. One straight ahead and another on her right. The door on her right was open. Angie stepped inside and looked behind the door and in the closet. She used the mirror standing against the wall to peek under the bed. 

Angie inhaled again when she was out in the hallway. A sharp metallic smell hit her the closer she moved to the last door. “Fuck,” she muttered under her breath. Angie took shallow breaths through her mouth. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, not wanting to open the door. Angie steadied herself and turned the knob. She pushed the door open and jumped back against the hallway wall out of sight. There was no noise. She pulled a lighter out of her pocket and flipped it open just to be safe. She extended the hand with the lighter and covered her nose and mouth with the other hand. The sight in the room rivalled the smell. Blood spatter covered the walls in every direction, as if someone stabbed wildly at their victims. Three bodies lay in a pile on the bed. Two adults and “Oh god,” Angie gasped.

Forcing herself to look beyond the horror scene on the bed, Angie swept the room, checking in the closet, behind the door and under the bed. No one was in the house. She had received no such instruction, but it looked like Crisalide sent a termination order. The mission was compromised. Angie knew exactly what that meant. She threw open the window in the master bedroom and returned to the sky. She shot through the air like a bullet toward Hell’s Kitchen.

___________________

Dottie watched Angie streak through the sky and quickly dismantled her rifle from her place on the rooftop opposite the building. The look of horror on Angie’s face told her what she already suspected, that whoever Sussurro was holed up with was dead. The 084s were cleaning house. She grabbed her radio from in front of her. “Gabe, do you read?”

The radio crackled before Gabe replied, “Copy, Widow.”

“Do you have your targets acquired?” Dottie snapped the case closed while she waited.

“Affirmative. En route back to base.”

Dottie stood up. “Jim, update,” she requested and sat down the handheld device.

She shifted the case to her other hand then picked the radio back up and waited. Several seconds of silence passed, causing bile to rise in Dottie’s mouth. “Agent Morita, do you copy?” she repeated.

The radio fell silent again. Dottie slid the radio back onto her utility belt and started hopping quickly down the fire escape, sniper rifle case in one hand. The radio crackled. Dottie slid to a stop. “Agent Underwood, the Martinellis and the Alessis are getting settled. Agent Jones pulled up right as you called. Tommy is requesting to see his family. Any chance we let the kid see ‘em?”

Dottie sighed before she pressed the button to respond. She rolled her neck and pressed it, “Negative. Not until we’ve the other 084s in custody. Take the families the back way upstairs, away from his cell.”

“Yes ma’am. Good luck,” Jim replied.

Dottie changed the frequency to the private one she knew Peggy kept open on her walkie talkie. “Director Carter,” Dottie started.

She slid the rest of the way down the escape and dropped lightly to the ground. Dottie opened the trunk of the black sedan she drove over and dropped the rifle case inside. Dottie slid into the driver’s seat just as the radio crackled at her hip. She unclipped the device. “Agent Underwood,” Peggy’s voice came through clearly.

“Sussurro is not at her cover. The occupants are all dead. Looks like she killed them. Both families are secure at the base. You guys made it to the docks yet?”

“We’re here.”

“All three targets may be at your location. I’m on my way,” Dottie said and put the key in the ignition.

“Negative. Go back to base. There’s no one here. We’ll need to interrogate Tommy again. He trusts you. Get him talking.”

Dottie sighed heavily before responding, “Yes, Director.”

“We will meet you there shortly. Carter, out.”

Dottie started the car and headed back.

___________________

Peggy tossed the radio back in the van and kicked the door. “Where the hell are they?” she clasped her hands behind her head and looked up.

A black blur cut across the sky overhead and descended into the warehouse her agents were clearing out of. Peggy pulled her gun and raced toward the building. “Director?” an agent shouted behind her.

She ignored him and ran full speed. She approached the side door carefully. The sound of winds whipping violently met her at the door. She peeled back just in time to avoid being thrown by the door getting ripped off the hinges. Peggy’s eyes narrowed. She put the gun back in its holster and motioned for the gathering agents to stay back. “Angie?” Peggy shouted.

The winds quieted slightly. Peggy held her hands up in the doorway then stepped forward, “Angie?” she repeated.

Angie landed on the floor. She held a lighter in her hand and stared at Peggy. Peggy calmly walked toward Angie, “Angie, I just want to talk.”

“Is my family safe?” Angie asked flatly.

Peggy nodded, forcing Angie to look at her. “Your friends aren’t here.”

Angie scoffed, “My friends. I could’ve reasoned with Calcio and Pugno. I just…” Angie shook her head, “I needed to get here first.”

“Do you know what ‘Sterminare’ means?” Peggy asked, still stepping further into the room.

Angie burst forward, grabbing fistfuls of Peggy’s shirt. “Where did you hear that?”

Peggy searched Angie’s terror riddled face. “Angie darling, please let go.”

Angie looked down. She and Peggy were hovering three feet off the ground. She lowered them gently. “Please, English. Where’d you hear that?”

“We got a report from Crisalide headquarters. It was the last order that went out,” Peggy explained.

Peggy put her hands on top of Angie’s, still holding onto Peggy’s collar. Angie shook herself and let go of Peggy. “Get everyone out of your base. It’s compromised. We’ve known your location for a month. We were preparing to move on you. You have Tommy?”

Peggy nodded. Angie stared into brown eyes she would have happily drowned in just days ago, “I need to talk to him.”

Peggy exited the building first, shouting, “Stand down!” to her agents.

Angie pocketed her lighter and put her hands up to try to show that she meant no harm. She saw the terror etched onto their faces though when she walked out, clad in head to toe black leather. She slowly lowered her hands to her sides and fought the urge to run toward the walkie talkie. Peggy seemed to sense her impatience and increased her pace to the van. Angie kept her head down and her hands at her sides. Peggy repeated when they got to the van, “Stand down.”

Peggy reached in the van for the walkie talkie. She held it up and explained how to speak into it to Angie. Then she pressed the button and spoke first, “Dottie. Do you copy?”

The device crackled and Dottie’s voice rang through clearly, “Yes Director. Tommy says he doesn’t know anything else. I don’t think he’s lying. We’ve had him, according to him, basically since they got here.”

Peggy looked over at Angie, whose face was a deep scarlet. Peggy let go of the button and got in Angie’s line of sight. Angie blinked rapidly, “You need to put this vendetta aside, Angie. Whatever happened between you, we’ll need you both to take down the other agents.”

Angie inhaled slowly, wetted her lips then nodded. “Dottie, Angie needs to speak with Tommy. Can you arrange that please?” Peggy said calmly.

The line went silent. Peggy could imagine the profanities streaming out of Dottie’s mouth likely mostly in Russian. She watched Angie who has started to fidget. “Only English, please,” Peggy requested, “I—,” Peggy was cut off.

“Mulinello?” Tommy’s voice cracked across the line.

Peggy handed Angie the walkie and pointed at the button. Angie depressed it, “Hey kiddo. Remember when we first met?”

“Yeah,” he replied.

“I need you to trust me like you did then. I’m gonna keep us safe. You told ‘em where your family was?”

“Yeah,” Tommy replied, his voice cracked.

“It’s okay, kiddo. Me and Peg’ll make sure they’re safe yeah?” Angie tried to make her smile carry across the line.

Tommy took a ragged breath, “What do you need from me?”

“Is Dot there with ya?”

Silence then, “Yeah. She’s here.”

“She resisted Incantatrice remember? She’s strong. You need to be strong like her. We know about the tunnel entrance. Go freeze it. It’ll buy you some time okay? Can you do that?”

“I can do it, Mulinello.”

“I know ya can, kid.”

Angie handed the walkie back to Peggy. She put her hands behind her head and laced her fingers. Peggy’s eyebrows knit together as she clicked the button to talk, “Agent Underwood.”

“What are your orders, Director?”

“Let Tommy freeze over the tunnel. Enact emergency procedures. Exit protocol C. Civilians out first, have Gabe and Jim go with them along with whoever can be spared. We’ll be there soon.”

“Understood, Director,” Dottie hesitated a moment, “Is she still there?”

Peggy looked up at Angie. Rage and fear painted along her features in equal measure. Peggy depressed the button and held it out toward Angie. “Yes,” she hissed.

“We’ve both been weapons. It’s not all we are.”

Angie’s jaw clenched. The muscles worked in anger. “Watch out for Sussurro. She’s the little sister of the woman you murdered. You faced Calcio that day too. His brother’s power is similar to his.”

Peggy was impressed that Angie’s words sounded more like a warning than a threat. Angie’s fists clenched behind her head. Peggy tossed the walkie back into the van and made a sweeping motion with her arms. Agents filed into the vans. “Aren’t ya gonna cuff me?” Angie asked.

“Oh that’s what that is,” Peggy nodded in understanding, “No, actually, I was wondering if you could fly us to 60th and Park.”

Angie nodded and lowered her hands to her sides. A young man in his early twenties appeared suddenly at Peggy’s side, “Director, are you sure that’s wise?”

Peggy ignored the question and instead instructed the driver of the van they stood beside to an address and the young agent to relay a different address to the driver of the other van. The vans pulled away leaving Peggy and Angie in a dust cloud. Peggy stepped close into Angie’s space when the debris settled. “So how does this work?” she asked.

Angie cleared her throat. She wrapped an arm around Peggy’s waist. Her heart ached. She tamped the feeling away. “Wrap your arms around my neck. Hold on tight.”

A gust of air clouded around them as they lifted off. Peggy’s hands tightened around Angie’s neck. She focused and made them both as near weightless as she could. Peggy’s arms were warm around Angie’s neck. “It’s a shame we couldn’t do this in a different context,” a voice cut through the noise. Angie looked down. Peggy looked up. Angie worried that her internal dialogue had managed to break her defenses. Peggy’s face reddened, “Oh dear, that was out loud wasn’t it?”

A laugh burst out of Angie’s mouth. “Oh good, I thought maybe I’d said that.”

They lapsed back into uncomfortable silence. Angie dropped between two buildings in an alleyway Peggy pointed out to her. Peggy let go and Angie immediately missed the weight of her. She took a breath and refocused. Peggy pulled a sewer grate off a manhole and dropped inside. Angie lowered herself with a bit more grace. Angie was not sure what she expected the sewer to be like. She had never actually spent any amount of time in one but she did not imagine it was this. Electric lights lined the walls down the passageway. From the looks of it, it was not actually a sewer, but a passageway that ran parallel to the sewer. “Clever,” Angie marveled.

“Howard will be delighted you think so,” Peggy quipped. 

Angie trailed slightly behind Peggy for about a block. “You know,” Angie started.

Peggy inclined her head in Angie’s direction. Angie flushed and stuttered, “I wish a lot of things coulda been different. I, uh, I really liked ya Peg.”

Peggy nodded and continued in silence for a while. Angie rubbed the back of her neck and quickened her pace until she was next to Peggy. Peggy glanced sideways at Angie. “How much of it was the mission?”

Angie sighed. “English, I…,” Angie crossed her arms over her chest causing the leather to squeak, “I was fallin’ in love with ya but I had to keep my family safe. They had to come first otherwise I’d a probably told ya everything.”

Peggy stopped abruptly. Angie followed suit and stared at her then she heard it, the popping of guns being fired. Peggy started running. Angie hovered and reached out to grab Peggy as she sped past in a blur. Peggy grabbed on tightly to Angie’s neck with one hand and fished her gun out of its holster with the other. Peggy tapped Angie’s shoulder with the hand wrapped around her. Angie understood and brought them to a stop. Peggy tiptoed forward to a dead end. There was a valve to the side. Peggy started trying to turn it. “Let me,” Angie offered.

Peggy watched as the valve spun rapidly and the wall split in two. Flashes of light popped down the hallway. “Can you,” Peggy spun her hands around her face, “I don't know a shield or something?”

Angie stepped in front of Peggy toward the sounds of combat. The room was a mess. Agents lay on the ground in heaps. Sussurro stood up above the fray as Calcio and Pugno shot shockwaves at the few Agents still standing. Tommy called up a wall of ice to take the brunt of the force. The ice shattered as the shockwaves hit. A follow up blast sent Tommy sprawling backwards. Angie instinctively shot up a cushioning whirlwind and lowered him carefully to the ground. His wide panicked eyes turned in her direction. He beamed. Angie nodded his way and turned her attention back to the fighting. Sussurro’s eyes narrowed as she took in Angie. Angie tossed a roaring tornado up in front of her and Peggy. She grabbed onto Peggy’s arm. “Do you have earplugs? If you can’t hear her voice, she can’t control you. The shooting, that’s how these agents aren’t under her control,” Angie shouted over the roar.

Sussurro growled and beckoned for someone to step forward. A small figure walked out from behind her. A sickly smile spread across her face. Angie looked up at the observation deck. Her whole family stared down at her, terrified and there in the front was her little brother. Peggy paled. She surveyed the room looking for some tactical advantage that could be taken back. Peggy dashed off to the side toward her agents. Angie let the tornado dissipate. She clenched her jaw and raised her hands like she was surrendering. Sussurro smiled and waved Angelo back to stand next to the rest of her family. The second he was back away from her, Angie’s hands curled into fists and she jerked her arms down. The glass on the observation deck shattered. Sussurro flew through the air and careened against the wall. 

A handful of agents shook their heads as if a cloud was lifted from them. Dottie slammed her fists against a glass wall. Peggy pressed a code into the panel next to the cage. The door opened. Peggy shouted directions that Angie could not hear over the shooting. Pugno swirled his arms in front of him, generating a vibrating shield that kept the spray of bullets away from the brothers. Calcio sent quaking shocks at the agents, disrupting the earth at the feet and sending them flying. Angie flew up to the observation deck to check on the families. Her mother and father threw themselves at Angie, wrapping her in a hug. Angie pulled herself away. “We need to get you out of here,” Angie nodded at the people she did not recognize, “Who’re you?”

“Alessi, Tommy is our son,” a tall man that vaguely resembled Tommy replied.

Angie nodded and bent down over two unconscious agents. She slapped one’s cheeks lightly. Gabe stirred. Marco leaned over Jim and did the same. Jim took longer to come round. Gabe was up and on his feet before Marco was able to get Jim awake. Angie explained that she would provide cover to make sure they got out safely. Gabe picked up two guns and led the group toward the back of the observation room. Marco helped Jim limp toward the stairs. Angie threw up a wall of wind around the group. Angie followed in the back. Gabe led them all behind the stairwell. Angie sighed in relief once everyone got through the hidden door. Shockwave after shockwave pounded against the wall she maintained. Angie raced back up to the observation deck before letting the wall drop. She dropped below the wall of windows. She popped up quickly to survey the situation. She dodged just in time to miss a shockwave aimed at her head.

Angie took a breath and pulled up the pieces of glass. They hovered next to her. Pugno was advancing on the SHIELD agents. The bullets pinged off his sustained shockwave. Calcio’s eyes were narrowed, searching for a clue as to where Angie hid. She took a deep breath and popped out, simultaneously shoving the shards of glass down at the brothers. Pugno registered the attack and stomped hard. A wall of concrete burst from the ground. The glass shattered helplessly against it. “Of course they’ve gotten stronger,” Angie groaned and cursed under her breath. She slipped carefully along the wall toward the staircase leading to the lower level. She glanced around the side. Her mouth dropped open and she nearly screamed. Her brother stood frozen in the middle of the steps. 

Pugno noticed Angelo at about the same time as Angie and launched a shockwave at the boy. Angie threw up a whirlwind. Dottie landed in front of Angelo with her arms up in front of her face just a fraction behind Angie’s tornado. Surprise registered on her face at the swirling mass in front of her. She looked up around her to find Angie. They stared at each other for the space of a heartbeat. Angie nodded at Dottie begrudgingly then drove the tornado out toward the brothers. Dottie hustled Angelo back to the secret tunnel.

The swirling winds advanced on Pugno’s position. He manipulated the earth to disperse the winds. Angie flung more power into the wind and blasted through the rock. The whirlwind caught the brothers and tossed them against the wall. Their bodies fell. Angie let the tornado dissipate and sighed in relief. When she looked up, a dozen guns were trained on her. Her hands flew up over her head. “We’re on the same side here, Peg,” Angie shouted.

Peggy advanced hesitantly, her gun trained on Angie. The gun shook in Peggy’s hands. “Sussurro,” Angie whispered.

“I can’t stop it, Angie,” Peggy apologized.

Angie made a fist and jerked. The gun flew out of Peggy’s hand. She sighed in relief. The clicking of guns cocking distracted Angie. She threw up a wall of wind just in time to swallow the bullets aimed at her head and chest. She extended the wall to where Peggy stood. She needed an ally and Dottie had disappeared. She hoped that Tommy followed after his family. “Peggy,” Angie shouted over the roaring of the wind.

Peggy’s fists clenched and unclenched as she worked through the last of the control. “English!” Angie yelled.

Peggy’s attention snapped to Angie. Angie smiled, “Welcome back. Where’s Tommy?”

Peggy shrugged and shouted back, “Where’s Dottie?”

Angie shrugged. Peggy came up beside Angie. She pulled another gun out of her boot. This one was small. Angie held her arms out in front of her to support the wall. “I’m gettin’ real tired, English. You oughtta get out of her before I can’t keep this up anymore.”

“I’m not leaving my agents behind, Angie, and I sure as hell am not leaving you,” Peggy’s teeth clenched in resolution.

Angie shook her head and shoved the wall of wind into the agents. They careened backwards into one another. She hoped it would be enough to buy them a minute to get back upstairs. With a better vantage point, Peggy hoped they would be able to take out Sussurro before she did any more damage. Angie needed just to get sight of her to take her out. They bolted upstairs and crouched beneath the blown out window. Peggy peeked over the wall. “Twelve agents. I don’t see Sussurro, Dottie or Tommy.”

Angie sucked air between her teeth, “She’ll keep her commands to whispers so we can’t find her. She won’t risk that I have wind roaring in our ears,” Angie replied with just a hint of frustration in her voice.

Peggy surveyed their surroundings for something to use to their advantage when shots rang out. She bolted up and watched all twelve agents crumple to the ground. Blood gushed out of their heads. “No!” she shouted.

Angie grabbed Peggy and pulled her back down. Her eyes were wide. Angie plucked the gun out of Peggy’s hand and sat it down. She called up a whirlwind to mute everything but the two of them. “Peg, I need you to stay with me okay?” Angie put her hands on Peggy’s cheeks.

Peggy looked at her, eyes narrowing to thin slits. Angie sighed in relief. She reached behind her and handed Peggy back her gun. “You got anything you can put in your ears? Cause I’m about out of energy.”

Peggy reached in her pockets searching for anything she could use. Coming up empty, she shook her head. Angie inhaled slowly, “Then I need you to leave because I can’t protect you and do what needs done.”

Peggy stared into Angie’s cool blue eyes. She caught a glimpse of another almost love reflected back at her for a moment. Her throat constricted. Peggy closed her eyes to that memory and got close to Angie’s face. “You do NOT die on me. Do you understand?”

Angie gritted her teeth and nodded her head almost imperceptibly.

“I can manage one more wall. It’ll be enough to get you to the tunnel. Don’t come back,” Angie hoped Peggy understood how serious she was about that, “Don’t come back. Keep going.”

Peggy nodded. “Meet us at Battery Park. We never—just meet up with us at Battery Park. I’ll make sure your family gets there safely.”

“Sure thing,” Angie smiled distantly, “Ready?”

Peggy nodded and crouched by the doorway. Angie inhaled shakily and raised her arms. A wall of wind, far weaker than her previous ones rose up in the doorway. It did not extend all across the wall. Angie walked down behind Peggy, her arms still lifted, guiding the wall. Angie kept her back to the exit, not wanting to know exactly where it was in case Sussurro got a hold of her. Angie gave Peggy what, she hoped, was plenty of time to get out and dropped the wall. Sussurro stood in the midst of the bodies of the dead agents. She smiled, “Finally, we can talk.”

Angie took a shaky breath. “I’m tired. If you’re going to kill me, just do it.”

Sussurro laughed. The sound made Angie’s skin crawl. Angie tilted her head up to look at the girl. There was very little of Antonia in the girl. Angie’s eyebrows knit together. Sussurro raised one of hers. Angie admitted, “I just realized that I don’t even know your real name. Is it Renata?”

“No.”

Angie nodded and looked around her at the destruction. Her eyes fell on Tommy’s body behind Sussurro. Her throat tightened, “What else do you want from me?”

Sussurro turned her head to smile at Dottie sitting quietly in the shadows. “You know what is amusing? This one—come here,” she beckoned with her finger and Dottie got up, “This one was crying over Grandinare. This is who killed my sister?” Sussurro circled Dottie.

Dottie’s jaw worked relentlessly. She opened her mouth. “Bite your tongue,” Sussurro laughed.

Dottie crunched down on her tongue with a grimace. Blood spilled out of her mouth. Sussurro turned back toward Angie. Angie had been advancing while Sussurro’s attention was divided. “Stop!” she shouted.

Angie froze in place. Sussurro looked between Dottie and Angie, a wicked grin splayed across her face, “Fight to the death.”

Angie unsheathed one of the knives from her leg and lunged for Dottie who dodged deftly and grabbed the knife from Angie’s other leg holster as she rolled away. Dottie shook her head ferociously. “Fight it!” she shouted as she rolled at Angie. The upward slice grazed across Angie’s arm. Angie looked down at the cut. It barely nicked her but still was enough to draw blood. Angie planted on the spot and forced her fists open. The knife clattered to the floor. Sussurro rolled her eyes. “Pick it up.”

Angie fought her muscles. She glared at Dottie. She prayed the distraction would be enough and that Dottie was smart enough. Angie forced her feet to turn. Her body reluctantly shifted to face Sussurro. “I said pick it up.”

Angie’s body started to bend. Still she fought. Her fists clenched white from the effort. Angie slowly bent her knees. Sussurro repeated her command again and again, “Pick it up. Pick it up.”

Angie had her hand around the hilt of the knife when a blade buzzed over her head and imbedded in a very surprised Sussurro’s chest. Blood gurgled out her mouth and she slumped in a heap amongst the dead agents. Angie sighed in relief. She turned to face Dottie, “Good aim.”

“Just glad we were on the same page. I’m gonna check on Tommy,” Dottie raced over to where Tommy lay very still on the ground. Angie moved to Sussurro’s body and pulled the knife from her chest. It made a squelching sound as it popped free. Angie wiped the blood off on the hem of Sussurro’s shirt. “I’m sorry, Antonia,” she whispered and sheathed the dagger as she stood up.

“He’s breathing,” Dottie smiled.

Angie felt a weight lift off her chest at that. She resumed scanning the room. Her eyes fell where the brothers should have been. “Dottie,” Angie started.

“You killed him!” Pugno shouted in a blind fury.

Angie had just enough time to duck below a shockwave. Her ponytail got caught in the force and yanked her head back. Angie recovered. Pugno pulled his fists back. Dottie was reaching for a gun. There was not enough time. Angie jumped. She felt herself floating in the air. The whole thing slowed down. She used her last energy to throw herself in front of the blast. The shockwave caught her in the chest. She flew back. Angie watched herself pass over Dottie’s head as she ducked and fired a shot at Pugno. Her eyes tracked the bullet to his chest. She heard her head hit the wall with a thick crunch and everything went black.

___________________

_Former SHIELD headquarters, New York City, New York, July 1949_

“Dottie, precisely where are you taking me?” Peggy demanded as the stoic Russian led them through the ruins of the old SHIELD headquarters.

“When I first joined SHIELD, I returned to the USSR and stole some equipment from the Red Room,” Dottie explained, as if that cleared everything up.

Peggy sighed and folded her arms over her chest. She stopped in the middle of the old basement, “I’m not taking another step until you tell me what’s going on.”

“They did things to my body. Things that make me very hard to kill. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure I could bring her back,” Dottie continued.

Peggy held her breath, “Her? Dottie…”

Dottie started walking again. Peggy felt frozen to the spot. After Steve disappeared they searched for months hoping against hope. Peggy mourned Angie. She closed that door. Tears welled in her eyes. Dottie stopped again and turned around, “Director, please.”

Peggy took a tentative step through the rubble. Dottie turned a wheel and opened a secret passageway. Peggy’s eyes narrowed, “Howard knew about this?”

Dottie had the decency to blush. Behind the hidden door was another metal door with a small observation window. “We needed to keep us and her safe until she could acclimate.”

Peggy fought the urge to tiptoe and look in the window. Her heart hammered in her chest. Dottie put her hand on the door, “We aren’t sure yet if she has some amnesia. Don’t get your hopes up too high.”

Dottie pushed the door open. Peggy held her breath and stepped through. The body on the bed was covered in bandages. Her head was wrapped tightly. She looked like a mummy. Tears caught in Peggy’s throat. She carefully made her way to the bedside. The room smelled like antiseptic. It was sterile and white like the gauze wrapped around the slight figure laying on the bed. Peggy’s hand came up to her mouth. The movement stirred the woman. One bright blue eye, then the other squinted open. A small smile settled on Angie’s face. “Hey English."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This last chapter has been a beast. I hope y'all liked the series. Thanks for sticking with me through it.


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